“Focus on the Burden-Bearer, Not the Burden”
March 5, 2022
When you feel burdened down, discouraged, weary, or heavy-hearted, where do you turn? Do you turn to someone, something, or some type of distraction or escapism? We all have times when we believe we cannot handle too much more, or any more.
I realized earlier this week, my burdens run the gamut from the superficial to the sublime. While staring at my backyard garden, I was discouraged that the 50 tulip bulbs I planted a few months ago, were not beginning to break through the soil as my 50 tulips bulbs in my front yard have begun to do. I became anxious and “burdened” that my tulips were showing no evidence of life. I checked on them every day this week, and still no sign of sprouting. This, my superficial burden.
But then I walked back into my house and watched the latest update on the war in the Ukraine and I was so heavy-hearted and burdened for the people of Ukraine, and for our world, as you most likely are too. Concern for my tulips paled in comparison, and even made me feel shallow for being weighed down about them as I viewed the heartache of Ukraine. This, my sublime burden.
Of course there are so many types of burdens, that fall in between the book ends of tulips and war that can cause all of us to be drained, heavy-hearted, discouraged, and feeling as though we cannot handle much more. So what are we to do with these burdens?
The book of Matthew tells us exactly what to do at those times.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”-Matthew 11: 28-30.
Most of the people, to whom Jesus was speaking, were in dire straits and He was encouraging them. They were extremely burdened in that they were living below poverty, in poverty, and, in some cases, in slavery.
Notice Jesus’ invitation to them, and now to us, is to “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden…” How do we do this? How do we come to Him? First, we need to humble ourselves before Him and tell Him what the burden is. Then we need to lay our burdens down before Him and tell Him we cannot handle this. We need to entrust the burden to Him, trusting that He can deal with it. When we do this, we are moving our focus from the burden to the Burden-Bearer! As long as we keep our focus on the burden, we will continue to carry our burdens, trusting in our self-sufficiency to handle the weight.
After Jesus invites us to come, He tells us to take His yoke upon us and to learn from Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. . 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus was distinguishing His yoke from the yoke of the Pharisees who were imposing rules and regulations on the people-absolute and strict obedience to the law if God was going to accept them. In contrast, Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. We are not saved by living up to strict regulations and rules meriting salvation. A person is saved by receiving the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ’s forgiveness of our sins. In turn, we live in obedience to God out of gratitude and joy for His gift of salvation.
It is so comforting to read God’s promise, which He states twice in this passage—
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
When we give our burdens to our gentle and lowly in heart, God, we will be able to rest in our souls without fear, and in our understanding of our circumstances. Our situation may not change, but there can be a divine sense of peace until God does choose to change our circumstances.
His promise, when we face some serious burdens in life, is rest. We do not have to give up or turn to some foolish type of escape. We have a loving Father who will teach us, sustain us, and bear our burdens. This is why we meet people who live in such dire straits and have smiles on their faces. This is why we see many people, and many Ukrainians, smiling amidst the greatest burden and atrocity we could ever imagine.
Jesus will always be there, He will never leave us, and He will always be enough. Jesus teaches us how to live in the midst of burdens without being borne down by them. We can walk in assurance that God is in control and He will work out the circumstances in His way and His time.
From tulips to terror, from the superficial to sublime, we need to focus on the Burden-Bearer and not the burden!